Kazakhstan’s rail freight exports increased by 7.1% in the first nine months of 2026, reaching 69.4 million tons, compared with 64.8 million tons during the same period last year, Qazinform News Agency reports. Overall, Kazakhstan transported 241.7 million tons of freight by rail in the first nine months of 2026, up 3.4% from 233.7 million tons a year earlier.
The increase was supported by higher export shipments of iron ore, grain, fertilizers, coal, construction materials, and other commodities. Iron ore shipments saw the strongest growth, rising 32.1% year-on-year to 10.1 million tons. Grain exports by rail increased 17.6% to 8.3 million tons, driven mainly by higher shipments to Central Asia, Afghanistan, and China.
Fertilizer exports also rose 9% to 1.2 million tons, supported by increased deliveries to Belarus, Brazil, Uzbekistan, Bulgaria, and Afghanistan. Meanwhile, coal exports by rail grew 2.1% to 25.8 million tons. Earlier, Kazakhstan exported 15.5 million tons of grain and flour in grain equivalent during the 2025/2026 marketing year, reinforcing its position as a reliable supplier to the global food market.